The Walk
by kenziecaffrey
Summary: He just wanted to take a walk to clear his mind, he didn't think he would witness a girl get murdered; which affects him horribly. Warning: Language, violence, spoilers for Season One, and some of Season Two. Thanks for reading.
1. Chapter 1

_**Summary:**__ He just wanted to take a walk to clear his mind of things. He didn't expect to find a dead body lying at his feet._

_**Warnings:**__ Language, spoilers for Out of the Box, takes places before Point Blank._

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own White Collar. I am not associated with White Collar in any way. _

_**Author's note: **__Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy. _

Neal Caffrey slid out of his bed, a shaky hand rubbing over his face. He took a deep breathe and looked at the clock. It was 12:04 in the morning. Neal sighed wearily and turned on the lights and looked in the mirror. He was in his silk pajamas and there were heavy bags under his eyes.

He hadn't gotten much sleep in the past week. He was finally getting his sleeping schedule back on track since Kate's death. The first week of her death, he barely got any sleep at all. The second week, he was getting maybe thirty minutes more. The nightmares are what kept him up most of the time. Now, he was almost getting a full night sleep, but then the events from this month startled him again; ever since Peter had almost died. Elizabeth had flipped when she found out about the poison, and how Peter's heart had almost stopped. It was a few weeks ago, and now everything was back to normal except the nightmares again.

Neal sighed and wondered if maybe a warm bath would help him, but he decided against it. June had suggested a few weeks ago that if he was ever getting nightmares or something was bothering him, then he should go on a walk around the block to get things off his mind.

Of course, walking the streets of Manhattan at this time of night could be dangerous, but he didn't care at the moment. It wasn't really running through his mind at the time, so he grabbed a pair of sweats and a white t-shirt, something he would never be caught dead in going to the office or somewhere else, but for this occasion, he thought it was acceptable.

He walked down the stairs and found that June was still up, reading a book in the dining room. Neal smiled at her, "Hi June." He sighed and sat down at the table with her.

"What are you doing still up? Don't you have work tomorrow?" She asked and put down her book.

Neal shrugged, "I was asleep. I had a nightmare. I'm just going to go take a walk." He said simply and got up. "Will you be asleep when I get back? I'm just walking around the block." He said and grabbed a light jacket off the coat rack.

"Yes, unless you need me to let you back in. Do you have your key? I can stay up for you, if you need me, darling." said June, smiling at him.

Neal shook his head, "I'm fine. Yes, I have a key. Thank you so much though." He said and hugged her and kissed her cheek. "Goodnight." He said and walked out the door, sighing.

He closed the door and locked it and then started on his walk. He rubbed his temples as he walked and sighed. He wondered if Peter was still up, checking his tracker information, and wondering if he thinking to himself, 'Where the heck is he going?'

Neal heard screams in the distance and he jumped. He wondered if it was just teenagers having fun, maybe just throwing toilet paper rolls at their teacher house. These were startled and terrifying screams though.

Just to be sure, he ducked back behind a tree and by some bushes and made a peephole so he could watch from behind.

He saw a girl being chased by a man. He had something in his hand that was shiny and long. A knife. Neal checked his pockets and realized he didn't have his phone. "Shit." He said quietly and did the only thing he could do. He stepped out of the bushes as the man started passing and he tackled him to the ground, trying to get the knife out of his hand. The man kicked Neal in the stomach and took the knife and slit Neal's face. Neal gasped and rolled off of him, but he couldn't give up.

The man that slashed him got up and sprinted after the lady. He was fast, and Neal didn't think he was fast enough to catch up to him, but he tried. The man got the lady and then there was a startled cry, and the man dropped the lady and sprinted off. Neal stopped dead on his feet and ran towards the woman, picking her up and taking his jacket off. He put it on the wound where the knife ripped through her stomach, and looked at her in the face. She was really beautiful and he picked her up.

He had to get to a phone to call an EMS ambulance, so he sped walked to June's house. He would have used a pay phone if he would have had money with him, but he didn't. He was only a street away anyway. He walked quickly and then kicked the door with his foot loudly, trying not to knock the door down completely, but he was anxious and needed to get this young lady help.

June answered the door, groggily, saying, "I thought you had your ke-." She stopped midsentence when she saw that he was carrying a lady. She moved out of the way quickly and grabbed her phone off the stand by her dining room table.

"Please call an ambulance…a man took a knife and stabbed her in the stomach. I don't think she's breathing." He put his hand on her chest and felt a light heartbeat. He listened to June talking anxiously on the phone while he kept his jacket on the wound. Neal closed his eyes and prayed to God that this woman would be alright. He didn't even know who she was, but she didn't deserve to die this young…just like Kate.

He shook his head to clear the thoughts from his head and put all his attention to her again and he saw June was off the phone and coming with a some water and a rag. She took Neal's jacket and replaced it with the rag. She handed him the now opened water, and he wet the rag and put it back on her stomach.

June looked at Neal with widened eyes and put her finger to his face and traced the long, bloody scratch across his cheekbone. Neal jumped at the touch. He looked at her and sighed, "I'm okay, really. He kicked me in the stomach and just scratched my face with a knife. I've had worse. The only thing that hurts is my stomach. You know me, I'm not good with blood." he said and then heard sirens in the distance. He sighed of relief and kept the pressure on it.

The door was open and the EMS team rushed inside and found the girl that Neal was sitting over, putting pressure on her wound. Neal got up and the EMS picked her up and put her on a stretcher. "No pulse, let's move!" They yelled and rushed out of the house.

Neal's stomach lurched and his eyes widened. "I don't feel well at all." He said and got up and went to the dining room table and pulled a chair out and sat in it. His forehead was covered in beads of sweat.

June grabbed a large bowl out of the kitchen and set it next to him. She went back into the kitchen and grabbed a wet rag to wipe his face so he could cool down.

Neal gagged and started to vomit what was in his stomach until it was completely empty. June rubbed his back as he gagged and vomited until he was done.

Neal kept his head over the bowl just to make sure and a few minutes later, he shakily got up and went into the bathroom to empty the bowl. He wiped his mouth off and rinsed his mouth out. He looked at himself in the mirror, realizing he had blood splatters on his sweats and t-shirt. He stripped down and threw his clothes to the side. He shut the door and got a wash clothe and wet it and rubbed at the cut on his face, trying to get the blood off of it.

The knock at the door made him jump and he set the wash clothe on the counter, he cracked the door slightly and peeked his head out, "I'm going to wash up. I'm fine now. My stomach feels fine now." He told June, and she nodded.

"I just thought I'd be sure. Take as much time as you need." She said and walked off.

Neal shut the door, feeling awkward, and then continued washing his face till the dirt and scrape was cleaned up a little. He turned the shower water on and hopped in, washing his arms and legs, his hair, and he stayed in for a good twenty minutes until he coaxed himself out. He looked around and found a towel and draped it over his shoulders. He grabbed another one towel and wrapped it around his hips.

He sighed and exited the bathroom, seeing that June was no longer in the dining room and the lights were off. He trudged up the steps, tired, and into his room when he found June in there, placing a new pair of pajamas in his room and a glass of water. He found the bowl and another rag. She jumped when she saw him at the door and put a hand on her chest. "Oh, dear, that scared me." She said and pointed at the clothes. "There are some new pajamas there and a glass of water by on your nightstand. I also got a bowl and a rag just in case you feel queasy. Get some rest. I'll make sure that I go into the hospital tomorrow to find out about the lady, I promise you." She said and kissed Neal on the cheek, despite his awkwardness, just standing there in a towel, and she exited.

Neal dropped the towel, changed back into pajamas, and crawled into bed. He hoped that he could at least get some sleep in the night.

_Morning_

Peter tapped his shoe as he waited for Neal to come out of June's house, but he never did. He got up, groaning, and knocked on the door, angrily. June answered and smiled.

"Hi Peter." She said. "Didn't Neal call you?" She asked, her eyebrow rising up.

Peter's brow furrowed, "No, why would he?" He asked. He looked at his watch. "I'm on time. I mean, he should be down here. Is there something wrong with him?" He asked, worried now.

June sighed and said, "He had a very long night. Come in, I'll explain everything. I don't think he should come into work today, though. He needs to sleep." She said and allowed Peter to enter. She got him her Italian Roast coffee and sat at the dining room table.

Peter drank and saw a pile of clothing by the bathroom door covered in blood. His eyes widened and he looked at June, needing answers.

"Last night, Neal decided to take a walk to clear his mind of things. I told him it sometimes helps. He was having nightmares again, about what happened a few weeks ago. You know the poison and your heart stopping? Anyway, he went on a walk and he saw a young woman being chased by a man. Neal stepped in and got slashed by the knife. Being the person he is, he tried to save the woman but she got stabbed in the stomach. I don't think she made it, but I'm not entirely sure. He brought her back here, we called 9-11, and the ambulance came. They said she had no pulse and then they left with her. Neal started vomiting. He didn't get to bed till around 2:30 A.M. He took a shower and I assume he didn't get much sleep anyway. That's all I know about what happened." June said without stopping.

Peter took in a deep breath and looked at June. "Did the knife hurt him really bad?" he asked and watched June's expression.

"He got away with only a scratch and a kick in the stomach. Well, then he threw-up, but I don't believe he got sick again." She said. "You might go check up on him, see if he is up. Maybe talk to him or something. He's probably still very startled." She said and rubbed at her eyes. "A few more hours of sleep wouldn't bother me either. I think I'm going back to my room. Just shut the door when you leave, Cindy will lock it." She smiled and patted Peter on the arm and exited.

The FBI agent sucked in his cheeks, got up, and walked up the stairs to Neal's room. He knocked on the door lightly, just in case he might be still sleeping. He heard a lot of noise in Neal's room and then a voice.

"Coming!" yelled Neal. He heard footsteps and then a string of cuss words. "Argh! Dammit!" He shouted and opened the door.

Peter laughed at his appearance. His hair wasn't even combed. His collared, button-up shirt was half tucked out of his pants. His pants weren't zipped up and his belt was in his hands. The scratch on his face was terrible though. It was long and looked painful. Neal frowned, "Shut up. I'm having a late start." He started walking out of the room but Peter stopped him.

"Oh, no you don't. You, bed, now." He pointed back at the bed and grabbed the pajamas that Neal had lying on the ground sloppily, which wasn't him at all.

Neal whined, "Why? I'm fine. The only thing that is bothering is my stomach and that's because I hit the cabinet on my way to the door." He said.

Peter sighed and threw the pajamas at Neal. "See you later, Neal." He said and closed the door.

Neal sighed as he watched Peter leave. He rubbed his face and changed out of his clothes into the pajamas. He wondered how the young lady was doing, if she even survived through the night. He prayed that she had and he climbed back into bed, thinking of all the blood and reliving the previous night's events all over again.

His stomach lurched and he lied down on his bed, trying to calm his stomach down. His hands were shaking and he was cold. He pulled the covers over him and he gagged again. He reached for the bowl and vomited again.

He finished up and wiped his mouth and put the wet rag on his face. He was wondering if he was really getting sick, but he ignored it, and drifted off to sleep…

_**Author's note: **__I hope you are enjoying the first chapter of this story! Thank you for reading! Reviews are GREATLY appreciated! I really love knowing what you thought of this story. Thanks for reading. I'll have another chapter posted up in a while.._


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's note: **__Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and story alerts and wow, thank you so much! Here is chapter two. I hope you enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own White Collar and I am not associated with it in any way._

Neal woke up and rubbed his eyes. His side was hurting. He looked at the clock and saw it 1:20 P.M. He sighed and got out of bed and took a deep breath of air and then started coughing.

He coughed until he almost started throwing up. His chest hurt like crazy and his stomach was sore from coughing and throwing up the previous night. He rubbed it and looked up to find June standing there.

She rushed over to his side and bent down, "Neal, are you alright?" She asked. She had a hand to his forehead and looked at him. "You don't have a fever. Can you breathe alright?" She asked him.

Neal shook his head. "Having trouble…breathin'." He said, gasping for air and then started another coughing fit.

June helped him up, "We're going to the hospital. Come on." She said and led him towards the door, one arm wrapped around him.

Neal dropped to the ground and coughed some more. "I feel…weak." He said and looked at her, as he coughed.

June raced to a phone and dialed Peter's number. She was so glad he picked up on the first ring. "Peter Burke." He said and cleared his throat.

"Peter, please get over here. Neal can barely breathe and he says he's weak. He's going into coughing fits and I can't lift him up." She begged. She heard the squeak of tires and Peter replied.

"I'll be over there in less than five minutes." The line disconnected and June prayed to herself that Neal would be okay.

Neal sat up and leaned against the doorframe. He had stopped coughing and was breathing better. "I can breathe…better now. I don't know…what happened." He said and lied down on his side. He took a deep breath and the coughing fit started again.

June heard pounding on the door and ran downstairs after she told Neal she would be back in a minute. She could hear the poor young man coughing from all the way downstairs. She sighed and rushed to open the door.

Peter stood there and asked no questions; he ran up to Neal's room to see the man doubled over, coughing, panting, and sweating. He picked him up and walked down the stairs carefully with him. "Oh, Neal, why didn't you tell us you didn't feel well?" He asked and looked at Neal with sympathy.

Neal coughed and said, "It…hit me at once." He breathed and coughed some more. He curled up in Peter's arm; coughing until he felt sick at his stomach. Peter settled him in the back seat of Peter's car and June got in the back with Neal. The young man was stretched out in the backseat, his breathing becoming very heavy.

Peter took off at the fastest speed he could and looked back at Neal, who was coughing violently still. He wondered when Neal got sick or maybe it was an injury that he got from last night…His train of thought was interrupted by a horrible retching sound and he looked back at Neal to see that he was vomiting and coughing violently.

"Shit!" Peter said when he saw that he saw that Neal was coughing up blood. Peter didn't care if his care had vomit or blood in it; he needed to the get to the hospital fast. Something was seriously wrong with Neal.

Neal was rubbing at his side and tears were close to running down his cheeks. He was in so much pain, especially in his side and throat. He leaned in the back of the seat, closing his eyes, breathing heavily. "Peter…I'm really sorry…for the mess." He said and took a deep breath and the coughing started again, but it wasn't as bad this time. June had an arm wrapped Neal and she was trying her best to calm him down and steady his breathing.

Peter pulled into the hospital drive and ran into the hospital, "My friend needs help. He is in the car and he threw up blood and he can't breathe..." He said and led the doctor with a wheelchair to his car which was parked in the 'Ambulance Only' spot. He felt bad about taking it, but Neal needed help.

June had helped Neal out of the car into the wheelchair and then looked at Peter as they rolled Neal inside and he disappeared out of sight into the hallways. "I'll meet you inside. You need to move your car. I'm going to go get you some paper towels for your car. I'll help clean up the mess. I'm sorry about the mess, Peter." She apologized and Peter shook his head at her.

"No, it's not your fault. He couldn't control it." said Peter as he climbed back into the car and moved it into a parking spot. He saw June standing outside with some paper towels and some water. Peter approached her and together they went back to the car to clean up the mess.

_In the waiting room.._

Peter and June were sitting in the waiting room together, waiting anxiously for news about Neal. He had called work and Elizabeth and told them about the situation. Elizabeth had promised she would come by as soon as she could and the office had said get well.

After an agonizing hour of waiting, a nurse called saying, "Family of Mr. Neal Caffrey?" She called and Peter and June stood up anxiously.

"Ah, right back here, please." She said and led them to an empty room and shut the door as they entered. "Well, what we think is Mr. Caffrey has a broken rib and it can be quite painfully. Now, we are still determining what symptoms he has, so if we could ask you a few questions, please?" She asked and clicked her pen.

June and Peter both nodded. "Of course, dear." June said and smiled slightly.

The nurse smiled and said, "Okay, first question is did Mr. Caffrey have extreme pain while taking a breath?" She looked up at them as they nodded. She nodded and wrote something down. "Has he had tenderness towards his chest or side?"

June spoke up, "He was rubbing at his side in the car." She answered and the nurse nodded, writing down information again.

"Has he had severe shortness of breath?" She asked and they nodded. She wrote down information again. "Did he cough blood or vomit blood?" She asked. They both nodded, biting their lips, wondering if this was serious. She wrote down information once again.

The nurse continued questioning them. "Was he weak, confused, or dizzy?" She asked.

June answered again, "He said something about feeling really weak, but he said nothing about confusion or dizziness." She sighed.

"Has he been in any accidents lately?" She asked and looked at them. June and Peter both nodded. "He was kicked in the stomach while he was lying on the ground." June explained. She wrote this down.

"Okay, and our last question, did he say anything about having blood in the urine?" She asked and they both shook their heads.

"Thank you for letting me know. We will take him to x-ray so we can figure out how bad the break is. Feel free to wait here." She smiled and exited the room, closing the door behind her.

_Neal_

Neal lied on the hospital bed in his room while he waited for the nurse to return. She did about ten minutes later, smiling at him.

"We are going to take you to the x-ray department. We think that you may have a broken rib, but we are going to take the x-rays just to be sure. Alright?" She said and extended her hand so she could help him up.

Neal breathed heavily and got up slowly. He coughed some more and the nurse sat him in the wheelchair. "It would be better if you didn't walk for now." She explained and wheeled him to the changing rooms in the hospital.

The nurse stepped away from the chair and handed Neal a hospital gown. "Now, I know this is probably really embarrassing to you, but you need to put this hospital gown on because we are taking your x-ray. Do you need any help with anything?" She said, opening the door and helping him stand up.

Neal shook his head, "I got it…thanks." He said and went into the changing rooms and undressed, changing into the gown. He sighed awkwardly and walked back outside and the nurse was there waiting for him. She smiled and helped him sit down as he started coughing again. She wheeled him to the x-ray department.

He was taken to the x-ray room and he looked around, curiously. The nurse helped him up and stood him in front of the x-ray plate and she instructed him, "Place your chin on this bar and I need you to take a deep breath and hold it until I say so. Now, I know this will hurt, but I need you to do this so we can find out what is wrong. Okay?" She said.

_I feel like a baby…wearing this funny gown with an open back. _He thought to himself and he nodded.

He took in a deep breath when she gave him the cue and he held it, no matter how bad it hurt, and then she took the x-ray, and he exhaled, painfully.

The nurse smiled and said, "Good job. Now, we are going to take you back with your family while the x-ray tech processes the film so he can see what's wrong." She said and helped him sit down so he wasn't in a lot of pain, but it didn't help.

Neal winced and let out another cough as he breathed heavily and the nurse wheeled him to the room, knocked on the door, and entered with Neal. "He just got an x-ray done and we will let you know in a few minutes what we have. So, just sit tight and wait here." She said and left the room.

Peter looked at Neal along with June and asked, "How do you feel?" He got up and helped Neal out of the chair onto the large examination table. Neal climbed on it slowly and then lied down on his good side, facing towards them.

"A little better." He said and looked at June. "While you were here…did you find out…about the lady from…last night?" He said, coughing again.

June sighed and her face turned sad. "Neal, she didn't make it. I'm really sorry." She said and patted his hand.

Neal's face turned from sad to painful quickly as he started coughing again. Peter rubbed circles on his back lightly.

A few minutes later, the nurse walked back in and said, "Okay, you have one broken rib. We are going to go to the ER department and the ER physician is going to tape of your ribs. He is going to talk to you about your injury and what you can, can't do, etc. Ready?" She asked and Neal nodded.

Peter helped Neal slide off the examination table and they wheeled Neal to the physician and entered the room.

"Hi, Neal. I got your x-rays. Now I need you to understand that this will be painful for a while and it is gonna hurt taking breaths, but we will send home something that will make your shortness of breath a lot better. We are going to tape your ribs up and you are going to be restricted on what you do this first week just so you don't make the injury worse and we want you to make sure you don't lift heavy objects, do heavy exercise, and some other things. I'll send a sheet home with your family. Now, let's get you fixed up!"

_After..._

Neal rubbed at his side and sighed, "This tape is uncomfortable and itchy. I want to get out of this gown too…" He coughed and sat up.

Peter smiled, "Aw, but I like the gown." He said and grinned at Neal. June smiled and rolled her eyes. "Okay, no fighting." She said and handed Neal his clothes. The nurse brought these over when we left while you were getting wrapped. We didn't want to make you feel awkward. Here you go." She said and smiled at Neal. "Go get changed."

_In the car…_

Neal stared out the window, shifting his weight. He leaned back and then wrapped his arm around his side.

He remembered back to what June said. _"She didn't make it Neal, I'm sorry."_ Neal winced, remembering all the blood, the man, and wondered if the man knew who he was or if the man could find out and come after him. He didn't want him to hurt El or June. Not Peter, Diana, or Jones. He didn't want the freak to hurt anyone.

"Neal, are you alright, honey?" asked June. She was deeply worried about Neal. She wondered if he was blaming himself for that women's death.

Neal looked at her and half-smiled. "I just want to get home and take some painkillers." He coughed and groaned.

Peter looked at Neal, "June talked to us and Elizabeth and I are coming over for dinner. She couldn't get off work to come to the hospital since she was at an event, so she is coming over to see you." He turned his eyes back on the road and they arrived at June's.

_**Author's note: **__Thanks for reading this chapter! I should have the next chapter up shortly. In the next chapter, I'll get more into the young lady, who she is, who the man was, etc. Reviews are greatly appreciated!_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's note:**__ Sorry that it took so long for an update. I was very sick and I just got back on my feet a few days ago. Thanks for being patient. Hope you enjoy this chapter. _

_**Warnings: **__Violence and mild language. _

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own White Collar and I am not in anyway associated with it. _

After dinner, Neal, Peter, Elizabeth, and June were all in the living room, just chatting, when Neal piped in.

"Hey, Peter. Who was the lady who got murdered that night?" asked Neal and looked at him, grimily.

Peter sighed and looked at Neal. "Are you sure you want to talk about this now?" He asked the outstretched con-man on the couch. Neal nodded back to him and Peter took a deep breathe. "Her name was Alyssa Owens. She was only twenty-three years old. She worked at the café down the street from where she was being chased. She had a clean slate on her record. Her parents had died when she was young. We think it was just a robbery or purse snatching gone wrong. We don't have the case into our hands though. NYPD does." Peter explained.

Neal nodded. "Okay." He said, blankly. He really wanted to change the subject now. He had taken his painkillers an hour ago and he was really starting to feel better already. He stretched his feet out again and lied his head down on the pillow and looked at June and Elizabeth to see that they were staring at him. "What?" He asked.

June shrugged. "Nothing, you just look tired." She said simply. She thought to herself that he must be exhausted after today and then the day and night before. She brushed a hair away from his face.

"Yeah, I am. Can we go home?" He asked and sat up slowly. He was still achy, but he wasn't coughing as much. Maybe only once every fifteen minutes.

June smiled and nodded, "Of course, dear. Could we be excused?" She asked Peter and Elizabeth. They both nodded, said their goodbyes, and they went on their way.

_**Peter and Elizabeth's home**_

Peter sat at the table with Elizabeth, reading silently the newspaper. It had been all silent until Elizabeth asked Peter a question that Peter hadn't thought of really.

"Hey, Peter…do you think that the people who killed the young lady will come after Neal?" She asked and when Peter looked up, he saw that her eyes were full with fear and sadness.

Peter smiled slightly at her. "I know you are worried about Neal and all, but he will be fine. They aren't going to come after him. They don't even know who he is." He said and pecked her cheek. "He'll be fine." He said and he noticed her eyes went back to normal.

Elizabeth took a deep breathe and nodded, "You're right. Thanks Peter." She said and smiled and pecked his lips. "I'm heading up to bed. It has been a busy day. When are you coming up?" She asked and got up from her seat.

"I'm going to come up now. I don't have anything to do tonight." He said and they both walked together upstairs. Peter thought about what he had told Elizabeth.

_They aren't going to come after him…He'll be fine. _If only he would have known that were true.

_**Neal**_

Neal was sitting Indian style on his bed and reading a book. He didn't know what the book was, but he had found it on the bookcase when he had moved in, so now was a great opportunity to read it.

He had barely gotten into the book when there was a knocking on his door. "Come in." he said, expecting it to be June at his door. He still had his eyes glued on the bed when he heard the cocking of a gun.

"Get up!" The man had yelled.

Neal's hands started shaking. He nodded and got off the bed slowly. He tried to control the shaking in his hands, but he was terrified. He was already injured and in bad enough shape right now as it was and he didn't need anymore injuries to add to the list.

"Now, Caffrey cut your anklet or I will tell my friend to kill your nice friends upstairs like I did to that one young lady. You should remember, you were there." He snapped and held the gun still to Neal's stomach.

"Leave Samantha and June out of this." He said, grimily. He leaned down and grabbed the scissors that were thrusted at him. He cut his anklet and threw it to the side. He kept his hands in the air and when the gunman had looked around his room and touching one of the vases, he quickly grabbed his phone and shoved it into the pocket of his pajamas.

The gunman nodded, "Come on, let's go. The police'll be 'ere any minute." He grabbed Neal by his hair and dragged him out of the room.

Neal let out a cry and the gunman took the bottom of the gun and hit Neal across the head. Neal's vision blackened and blurred, and then his mind went free of thoughts, and he passed out to unconsciousness.

_**Peter and Elizabeth…**_

Peter was woken in the middle of the night by the ringing of a cell phone. He groaned and picked it up immediately. "What?" He snapped and rubbed his forehead and sat up. He had woken Elizabeth up. He sighed.

Jones spoke on the other line, "Sorry to wake you up. Neal cut his anklet. The US Marshall's said it was cut about seven minutes ago." He explained.

Peter looked at his clock. It was 12:13 in the morning and he got out of bed quickly. "Where was he when it was cut?" He asked Jones, dressing quickly, and putting his shoes on.

"June's house. She was already in bed when we called. She didn't even know anyone had left the house." Jones explained.

Peter nodded, "I'll see you there." He said and hung up, grabbing his gun, holster, and jacket and finished dressing quickly.

Elizabeth looked at Peter, "What is going on, Peter?" She asked and rubbed her eyes.

"Neal cut his anklet." He said and kissed her on the lips. "I'm sorry, I had to go." He said and rushed out of the house, leaving Elizabeth heartbroken that Neal had ran from them.

_**At June's…**_

June saw Peter pull up along with some other FBI agents she had met a while ago. Lauren Cruz, Diana Barrigan, Clinton Jones, and Peter were all there. She nodded at them.

Peter cursed and walked inside and upstairs to Neal's room quickly. June followed along with the agents. His room was tighty and neat.

Peter looked around. Nothing was packed and he saw the tracker lying across the floor by his bed. He saw the book on Neal's bed. He looked around and saw June. She looked devastated.

Lauren was looking over the bookshelves, seeing if something popped out to her, and was thankful when she called him over. "Hey, boss, look at this. This whole vase is dusty except for a fingerprint." She said and looked at Peter.

Peter nodded at her. "This is good. I know he didn't run. He was too injured to run anyway. Get that fingerprint at forensics." He said.

She nodded and said, "Already done."

Diana and Jones were bagging other things and then Jones said to Peter, "Hey, boss. Neal's phone is missing." He said and looked at Peter with some hope in his eyes.

_**Author's note: **__Sorry about the short chapter. I'll try and do better next update. I may be out of town getting surgery this week, so if I don't update fast, apologies.___


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's note: **__Sorry about the wait. A lot has been happening over the past days. I hope all of you have a blessed Thanksgiving! Thanks for all the reviews and story alerts! Anyway, on with the story. _

_**Warnings:**__ Violence, cursing, spoilers for Out of the Box. _

_**At the office…**_

Lauren Cruz walked up the stairs anxiously. She knocked on Peter's door and into the office when he acknowledged her to come in. "They figured out who the fingerprint belonged to." She said and handed the file to her boss.

Peter smiled at her and read the file. "His name is Robert Beeson and he has a clean slate." He frowned. He looked through the file and sighed. "I wonder what made him kill that lady…" He wondered aloud and Lauren looked at Peter.

"We know where he lives. Want to go check it out?" she asked Peter and Peter nodded and got up and they walked off together.

_**Neal…**_

Neal opened his eyes and he was sitting in a dark room. He screamed for help but knew it was no use. His feet were tied and his hands were behind him and handcuffed to the chair.

He tried to look around but his head felt heavy. His side was in pain and he tried to remember what had happened and why he was here.

Suddenly, an older man in his forties walked into the room and had a blade and gun in his two hands. "Wakey, wakey." He said as he slapped Neal across the face.

Neal jumped and trembled. He was freezing and was in pain and the slap did not make it any better. "W-what do you want?" He asked, shivering.

The man smiled, "I believe you remember me. I am sure you remember the young woman. Alyssa, was it? All I need was some extra cash, but she struggled. It is a shame that you saw all that, because now I have to kill you too. I do not know what I would do if you were able to identify me. You see, I can't go to prison. I have a girlfriend and a kid on the way." He said and brought the blade up to Neal's face.

Neal cried out as blood trickled on his face. The blade continued to cut his face in all different places. The pain was too much for Neal to endure and his stomach was starting to get uneasy. He was about to make a snarky remark when he decided against it. He started breathing heavily.

The man stepped back and grabbed some more tools. Neal's stomach lurched at the sharp thing he was holding. He took a deep breath, coughed, and then screamed when the weapon hit him in the arm.

_**Lauren and Peter…**_

Lauren looked at files around the dangerous man's house. "It says here that he owns a shack out in the woods. Do you think it is worth checking into?" She asked and Peter nodded. They took off at once.

In the car, Lauren thought about how annoying Neal could be but how she cared for him. She knew Peter did. She knew that Diana and Jones did. She even knew that Hughes did. Everyone in the office cared for him. His landlady and Ms. Burke did. Alex Hunter, his con friend, cared about him more than he knew. Mozzie was his best friend and he did.

The one thing she wondered was if Kate ever cared about him. He is such a nice guy and Kate did not deserve him, even though he could be annoying sometimes. She used him and after she had died, he was a mess. When he went back to work, he could barely function. He had a mask that did not fool anyone. He never smiled and was quiet. He never cracked jokes. As time went by though, the color had returned to his eyes and he was smiling again.

Peter looked over at Lauren. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking to myself. You make a turn at this street." She said and pointed at the direction.

_**Neal…**_

Neal closed his eyes and whimpered. His arm was bleeding from some tool the man had hit him. He had left the room after to let Neal collect himself before he tortured him some more.

"Peter now would be a good time to bring your rescue team in…" He whispered to himself and looked down. His shoulders shook as he started crying. He kept his head down and prayed that Peter would come busting through the doors soon.

_**Peter and his team…**_

Peter got out of the car with Lauren. Diana, Jones, and some other members of his team got out of their cars and had their guns at ready and bulletproof vests on.

"We are going to move on my cue. Ready?" He asked his team and they nodded. "One…Two…Go!" He yelled and kicked the door open. His team ran in and held their guns at the man sitting in a wheelchair.

_**Neal…**_

Neal heard movement upstairs and the words FBI. His eyes widened in hope and he started yelling for help.

When no answer came and he heard the familiar voices of Peter and Jones, he started getting frantic. He did not want to die here. He wanted to live his life to the fullest and he did not want this to be the end.

"Peter! Lauren! Diana! Anyone!" He yelled, frantically. He screamed. "Help me!" He continued screaming.

His heart started beating when he realized it was no use. He was down in a dark cellar room where no one could hear him. He will never be found.

_**FBI…**_

"Once again, we are so sorry. We thought something else. If you know or hear anything, call us." Peter apologized to the man in the wheelchair. "Sorry, I didn't catch your name." He stated.

The man shifted his weight and smiled, "My name is Roman Benefiel. It is okay. I know you didn't mean it intentionally. Have a nice day." He said as they started leaving.

Once they were outside, Peter cursed. "Damn it! We just accused a poor, man in a wheelchair of murder. I feel _so_ low." He sighed and got in his car. He turned around when he noticed Diana was standing in place and not moving.

"Diana? Is everything alright? What's wrong?" He asked and got up. He got his gun out just in case. She looked up and started talking fast.

"The man. He had scuffmarks on his shoes. Their was also blood and dirt on the bottom of his shoes." She said and pointed at the house. "He doesn't really use a wheelchair. He was lying." She said and grabbed her gun.

Peter's eyes widened, "Everyone! Move in! Now! We made a mistake! Go! Go!" He commanded orders to everyone and moved in again to see the man was still sitting in the wheelchair by the window when they came in again.

"Is their a problem?" He asked his hands up when the team had their guns pointed at him all at once.

Peter snorted and nodded. "You bet. Your shoes are dirty and they have blood and dirt on them. Care to explain?" He said as Diana pulled him up to see that he was standing perfectly.

The man was outraged. "I want my lawyer." He said and put his hands behind his back as Diana started reading off his rights. "You bet you'll need him." She said and took him back to a car.

Peter and his team began searching around the house.

Lauren started walking down into the basement. She made sure it was clear and she started calling out. "Is anyone in here?" She asked and then heard a response. "Help me!" The scream called out to her.

"Who is it?" She yelled back, looking all around the basement but found no one. She pressed one of her ears against the wall and listened.

"Neal Caffrey. Please, help me. I am behind the wall. T-there is a switch or a lever or some kind of code you have to use to get the wall open. Please, please help!" He yelled faintly.

Lauren called Peter down and explained to him what Neal had said. Peter started looking around and told Diana about what Lauren had said when she went upstairs to question him.

She came back down, a frown on her face. "He won't speak. He won't tell us where it is." She said and then got the whole team down there besides the ones that were taking the criminal back to the office.

Jones was looking at the bookshelf and then saw a statue. He saw a button on the side of it and he pressed it. The whole basement vibrated and then a door that was disguised as a wall opened up. They saw a battered Neal tied up to a chair.

The team went over to untie him and help him. Peter was the first in there to help him, cutting the ropes and ties off him.

Neal smiled at him, "You found me." He said and his eyelids started growing heavy and he passed out.

_**Author's note: **__Reviews are appreciated!_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's note: **__Guys, I am so very sorry for such delay on updating. School has kept me so busy. I am back now after yesterdays horrible events. (Grandma was in the hospital, someone tried to break in, and I got sick). Anyway, please accept my apology & enjoy this next chapter!_

_**At the hospital...**_

Peter was sitting in an armchair. He did not think any of the injuries was that serious, but they were checking him out. He wondered if they hit him in the ribs where he had already had the one injury from before.

Elizabeth was also sitting next to Peter, holding his hand. She had come about five minutes ago after she had two days off from work. She was wondering how Neal was doing. He had been in a doctor's office for over an hour. She knew that when you are at a hospital you have to be patient, but it was hard to be patient right now. She was tired from the last day's events and hopefully everything would be back to normal next week. A ringing broke her from her thought. It was Peter's phone.

"This is Agent Burke." He answered and listened quietly. "Okay, thank you. That is great. Thank you so much, Diana." He said and then nodded. "Yes, I will call you and give you an update whenever we hear anything. Thank you again." He said and then hung up the phone and smiled at Elizabeth. "Robert Beeson ended up confessing to everything."

She smiled at her loving husband. "At least we don't have to worry about Neal getting hurt anymore. Speaking of Neal…" She said and pointed at a doctor coming their way. They both stood up and greeted the doctor when he called for the family of Neal Caffrey.

"Hello. I am Doctor McFarland. We just got done with Neal Caffrey. Thankfully, none of his injuries were that serious. Many scratches were on his arms and face and we got those cleaned up. On the other hand, we see that he was brought in a few days ago for a rib injury. Luckily, not anymore damage was brought to it, but make sure that you take the same precautions with it as before. We re-wrapped it and he should take some painkillers as needed. If anything changes, just let me know. He is in Room 2B down the hall and he can go home tonight." He shook there hands once more and then moved on.

Elizabeth and Peter let out a deep breath. "I have to go call Diana and give her an update on his condition. I'll meet you there in a second." He pecked Elizabeth on the mouth and walked away to make the call.

Elizabeth walked to the room and knocked on the door. "Come in." She opened the door.

When she walked in, she saw Neal sitting on a bed in sweats and a t-shirt. "Hi, Elizabeth. When can I leave?" He greeted her and asked.

Peter walked in the room seconds later, answering his question. "You can leave now. How are you feeling?" He asked and went by Elizabeth.

"Fine. Let's go." He said and got up off the bed and walked out the door very quickly.

Peter looked at Elizabeth and she looked at him. Something wasn't right about his mood. He was usually very bubbly and enthusiastic, and now he just seemed blank to them.

After they made sure he was out of hearing distance, Elizabeth looked up at Peter and asked, "What's wrong with him?" She looked at Peter, sadly.

Peter kissed her forehead. "I assure you he is tired after today. He will be back to normal in no time. Let's go." He said and held her hand as they let Neal lead the way to the car and rode back to their house.

_**At Peter and Elizabeth's home…**_

Peter looked back to see Neal staring blankly out the window. He was really wondering if their was something wrong with him. Maybe not physically, but emotionally there was something going on in his head. Peter wondered if he was starting to blame himself for Alyssa's death.

Elizabeth was setting the table with Peter. Every once in a while she would look up at Neal to see what he was doing and every time it was the same, looking out the window on the couch with his feet curled up underneath him. She sighed and looked at Peter. He looked down and at Neal.

"Neal?" He asked and he answered without looking back at Peter. "Yup?" He continued to look out the window.

"Are you hungry?" Peter asked, putting food on the table and continuing to watch Neal.

"No." He answered quickly and got up from his position and wandered down the hall into the bathroom.

Peter sighed and looked at Elizabeth. He shrugged at her and then said, "Give him some time." He said and Elizabeth nodded.

_**Neal…**_

Neal sat on the floor in the bathroom and thought. He knew he was being somewhat rude to Elizabeth and Peter, but he did not feel well. His stomach was hurting and he could not stop thinking about Robert Beeson.

_It is like I'm a death magnet...anyone who gets close to me gets hurt…_He thought to himself and his lip quivered, thinking about Kate, Alyssa, and his mother. He felt terrible about what he had done to his mother, he could not even think about it.

Their was a knock on the bathroom door and a voice. "Neal? Are you alright?" It was Peter's voice.

"Yeah." He answered.

"Can I come in?"

"Yup."

The door opened and Peter appeared and he looked at Neal sitting on the floor, leaning against the cabinet and his feet propped up on the bathtub.

Peter raised his eyebrow and sat next to him. "What are you doing in here, just sitting?" He asked Neal and watched him intently.

Neal looked at him, "The smell of the food was making me queasy, and I'm just thinking." He said, simply. He sounded exhausted. Their were large bags under his eyes. The scratches on his face and wrappings on his arms did not make him look any better.

Peter looked at him, gently, and asked, "What is going on in that brilliant mind of yours?" He tapped Neal's hand and looked at him.

Neal blinked and looked at Peter. "Just stuff." He said, praying that Peter would not ask any more questions.

"What kind of stuff?" Peter asked. He wished Neal would just start talking so he could help him. He knew something was wrong and knew that Neal had negative thoughts in his mind.

Neal sighed. "I don't really think you should know. First, it was Kate. Then, it was Alyssa. Now, I'm thinking about my mother." He said simply.

Peter looked at Neal, "What about your mother?" He was now getting curious to what Neal was talking about. How did his mother get involved in this?

He noticed Neal's hands were shaking and his eyes were watery. "I didn't mean to, I was trying to protect h-her." He blinked a few times, attempting to get the water out of his eyes.

"Neal, what happened?" Peter asked and continued to watch him as his shoulders started shaking as he looked down.

Neal looked at him flat in the eye and whispered. "I k-killed her."

_**Author's note: **__Reviews mean a lot!_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's note: **__Here is the next chapter. Hope you enjoy! Thanks for the reviews and story alerts!_

_**Warnings: **__Violence, language._

**_Neal: 9 years old_**

_The little boy listened to the pleas and screams that echoed throughout his home. He put a pillow over his head and tried to drown out the sound by humming, but it didn't work. He moaned and got up, exiting his bedroom and into the living room._

_His parents were fighting though, but this time is wasn't emotional fighting, this was physical. His eyes were lighting up with fear as he ducked back into the hallway and watched out of the corner of his eye._

_He had known that his father had broken his mother emotionally so many times in the past. His father had called her a 'no-good bitch' on several occasions._

_Neal wanted to help, so he went into the kitchen where his father couldn't see him, but his mother could. He looked at his mother with fear in his eyes and she had a glint of worry for him in her eyes, but when Father wasn't looking, she mouthed one simple word. Gun._

_The blue-eyed boy with brown hair snuck out of the kitchen through the backdoor and went into the shed where he knew his mother kept the gun. She had always been prepared in case a robber ever came. She would have a gun to defend herself, and Neal didn't blame her. He actually never knew what a gun was though, but all Father had told him was that it was a weapon that could protect anyone in the darkest and happiest of times. Neal did not quite get it, but he went along with it._

_He grabbed the gun and decided to hide it in his pajama sleeve and he waltzed, quietly, into the kitchen again and sat down on the kitchen floor and crawled into the pantry where he could hide so his father wouldn't hurt him or see him._

_His father had done it, and Neal was furious at him. Father hit his mother in the stomach and she doubled over and coughed. She looked at the pantry, knowing exactly where he was, and her eyes widened in fear._

_Neal didn't know what to do, so he took the gun, and it went smoothly across the hardwood floors into his mother's hands and she quickly and sneakily grabbed it and pointed it at his father._

_Father knocked it out of her hands and smiled and kicked it away. He grabbed her by the hair and slammed her on the ground and she screamed, "Help me, someone help me!" She yelled and she fell on the ground and coughed._

_His hands shook with wild fear and he looked at the gun and he didn't know what to do. He figured he should hand it to her again and he pointed it at her and tried to toss it, but he didn't know what the button on the bottom did, so he tightened it so maybe it would lock._

_Neal wasn't experienced in guns, so he did not know what the flick would do; he was only nine years old, so he wasn't expected to know this; but he did it. There was a loud echo throughout the house and then the gun fell to the ground and so did his mother._

_**Present…At Peter's House…**_

"Neal, you didn't mean to. She wouldn't blame you for it. I promise you. You were trying to protect her. I know you would have protected Kate and Alyssa, too. You don't need to feel guilty." He said to him, his hands on his shoulders.

Neal shook his head. "I know I was only nine years old and I didn't know what I was doing, but I did the exact opposite for Kate and Alyssa. I knew Kate was in danger and I didn't protect her. Alyssa, I didn't even know her, but I heard her screaming and I should've done something instead of standing there like a fool. If I would have moved faster, she would still be here."

Peter's eyes lightened. "Yeah, but you might not. If you would have moved faster, he could have killed you and her, Neal. You can't blame yourself. Maybe you should talk to someone about this. A therapist or something? We have one that helps at the bureau for people who have seem traumatic things. You should consider it." He put looked at Neal.

Neal sat silently for a moment and then nodded, sighing. "Okay. If I don't like the therapist though, I'm not going back." He leaned back and closed his eyes.

"All I'm asking is that you try. If you don't like it, you don't have to go back. Thank you for considering it, though. I'll go make an appointment for you. Maybe you should head off to bed. You have had a long day." He said and smiled at Neal slightly.

Neal nodded. "Okay. Night." He said and got up, but before he left, he turned around and looked back at Peter. "I'm sorry. Thank you, though, for listening to me. I have never told anyone about my mother, so can you not tell anyone, except Elizabeth?" He asked gently.

"Not a problem. Hope you feel better in the morning." Peter said and walked off, making sure Neal got in the guest bedroom alright and was settled down. He sighed and rubbed his temples, then called the therapist to make an appointment for Neal, told Elizabeth what Neal had told him, and then went to bed with his wife and slept.

_**The next day…**_

Neal lied in his guest bed, wide-awake. He had nightmares all night about Alyssa. He wasn't dealing with this very easily. He couldn't get the horror on her face out of his mind. His stomach was hurting all night. He was mentally slapping himself in the face for telling Peter about what had happened when he was younger.

He got out of his bed and padded downstairs to see Elizabeth and Peter chatting downstairs, breakfast set at the table. Peter was drinking some coffee and Elizabeth had set breakfast out for Neal on the table.

"Hey Neal, come and sit down. I made you breakfast." Elizabeth smiled and pointed at the breakfast.

Neal shook his head. "I'm going to take a shower and then I'll eat." He said and walked back up the stairs. His stomach churned. He was scared Peter was going to blab to someone about what had happened when he was younger. He really could not take the heat that it could bring. He grabbed a towel and clothes and hopped in the shower.

_**In the car…**_

Neal was tapping his foot anxiously, biting on the edge of his thumb. He was not looking forward about going to a therapist and he wished that he had not agreed, but he couldn't take it back now.

Peter looked at him when they were at a stop light. "Are you alright?" He asked. "Are you feeling sick?" He watched Neal.

"No, I've just never been to a therapist, so this is all new to me. I just don't like talking about things that have happened to me." He said and looked forward again. He didn't want to look at Peter.

Peter patted his shoulder. "You'll be fine. They won't push you to talk about things you don't want to. In addition, they won't tell anyone, so you can talk about whatever you want. Okay?" He said and started moving when the light turned green.

Neal nodded. "Okay. Thanks." He said, bland. His stomach was still in pain and he had applied some cream to the bruises on his face, but they were still bothering him. He leaned back and closed his eyes, thinking about what and what not to say to the therapist.

_**At the therapist...**_

Neal sat on the couch anxiously. Peter had checked him in and he got in sooner than he thought. He was nervous. The therapist sat down across from him and started writing something immediately. His name was Dr. Moore.

"So tell me a little bit about yourself, if you don't mind. I'll tell you some things about myself too." He said.

Neal shifted his weight, awkwardly. "Well, I'm Neal. I work with the FBI White Collar division since I've been released from jail into the custody of the FBI. I had a girlfriend named Kate…and ummh...that's all." He said. He knew he was leaving many blanks about himself, but he didn't feel like saying that much about himself.

Dr. Moore nodded. "What happened to your girlfriend?" He asked and was writing, not looking up.

Neal's hands started shaking. He could feel a lump in his throat. His shoulders felt like they had hundreds of pounds on them, weighing them down. "She…she was killed." He said, his jaw clenched. He felt anger boiling up in his system, but he calmed himself down before the doctor saw him.

"I am very sorry about that. Anything else you would like to share?" He asked and looked at Neal.

"Well…not really." He said. He then got quiet.

Dr. Moore nodded and started to share a bit about himself. He watched Neal closely. He noticed how Neal wasn't even paying attention. "Neal, is there something else besides your girlfriend's death that is bothering you?" He asked.

Neal shook his head. "Not at all." He lied, masking his pain. He sucked in his cheeks. "It's getting really hot in here, can I step out?" He asked.

Dr. Moore nodded. "Sure, there is a patio right there. I'm going to go to the restroom, so you can stay out there until you cool off." He got up and exited the room, watching Neal get up and go outside. He went out the door and went to Peter, who was sitting, reading the newspaper in the office. "Agent Burke?" He asked and went to sit next to him. "Neal isn't doing so well with this therapy. He stepped outside and got angry when he talked about his girlfriend. Do you think we should just reschedule to another day when he is more comfortable?" He asked.

Peter thought about it for a second and nodded. "Yes, I think that would be a better idea. I'll go get him." He said and got up and stepped inside the room, seeing Neal on the patio. He was looking down at his feet and his hands were crossed over his chest. Peter knocked on the patio door and said. "Ready to go?" He asked.

"Yes." Neal said quickly, gathered his coat and walked off with Peter.

Peter looked at Neal. There was sweat visible on his forehead. "How did it go in there?" asked Peter.

Neal shrugged. "Fine. I told him about myself, he told me about himself. It just got really hot in there." He said.

Peter nodded. He wouldn't push Neal to tell him anymore. "Okay, well, I'm going home. Do you want to stay at our house another night or go back to June's? You won't be a nuisance if you stay again, I promise." He said and looked back to Neal.

Neal shrugged. "I don't care." He said.

"To my house we go then." Peter said and got in the car.

_**Author's note: **__Hope you all had a Merry Christmas! Reviews mean a lot, so please review!_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's note: **__I know I am getting lame at updating. There is a lot of family issues going on right now. Sorry for that. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks for the reviews & story alerts! _

_**Warnings: **__Spoilers for season one, language._

_**Peter's house…**_

Neal was sitting at the table, drinking water. He wasn't really tired. Elizabeth and Peter had gone up to bed about an hour ago, but Neal came back down when they went up. He couldn't sleep at all. His mind was flashing back and forth, from when his mother died all the way, up until he went to the therapist. He tapped his foot anxiously, but quietly, so he wouldn't wake up Elizabeth and Peter.

He grabbed a piece of copy paper and pencil from the kitchen. He hadn't done much free hand drawing since he got out of jail, but now he was really anxious to. He let his mind wander, trying to get ideas of what to draw. He put the pencil on the paper and started sketching.

Neal drew things all over the paper. It started with a hill with tall weeds. He then moved onto drawing a lake with a duck in it. He drew a long, weeping willow hanging over the lake. He drew some birds in the sky. His hand started shaking and cramping up so he dropped the pencil quickly and took a break.

He got up, ruffled his hair, turned on the light, and then looked at his drawing so far. He thought it looked terrible, but he wanted to continue. He hadn't thought about Kate or any of his other problems since he started drawing.

He sat back down and thought of something else to add to it. He drew a bridge in the distance. He smiled at himself and then went wandering into the office, seeing if Peter had something that he could color his picture with. He found some colored pencils, decided that they would be good enough, went back into the kitchen, and got back to work.

He colored his picture until it exploded with different oranges, blues and many other colors. He smiled at himself and started to sign his name at the corner when he jumped at a voice.

"What are you still doing up?"

Neal turned around and looked at Peter. "I couldn't sleep." He said and signed his name and put the colored pencils away.

Peter came and looked over Neal's shoulder. "That's amazing. You just now did this?" He asked. Neal nodded at him.

Peter picked it up gently and examined it some more. "It's so…detailed." He said in amazement and gave it back to Neal. "You should try artwork like this more often."

Neal raised an eyebrow at Peter. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Peter laughed. "You know what it means. You should try getting to bed now. It's two o'clock now." He said.

Neal glanced over at the clock. "I didn't even realize what time it was." He got up, left his picture on the table, and went to bed.

Peter had breakfast ready and he glanced at the clock. It was 9:00 and Neal was usually up. He knew that he stayed up late last night, but now he was wondering if Neal was okay. He walked upstairs to peek in on Neal and what he saw made his heart fall. Neal looked sick. He was up, but his face was pale.

"Everything alright?" asked Peter.

Neal shook his head for no. "No." He said softly. He was staring off into space. He didn't look like himself. Something was wrong with him.

Peter went to his side immediately. "What's wrong?" He asked and sat on the bed next to him.

"I didn't sleep at all last night. I feel like crap now." He sighed and rubbed his face. There were heavy bags under his icy blue eyes.

Peter patted him on the leg and drew the blinds down. "Then try and go back to sleep. You were up until two, after all. Sleep as late as you need to." Peter smiled slightly and watched as Neal settled back under the covers.

He stepped out of the room and sighed. He wasn't seeing much progress in Neal. He knew things were probably going to get worse. He walked downstairs, saw Elizabeth in the kitchen, up, and dressed. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek.

"Hey, Peter." She smiled and pecked his lips and sat down with her breakfast. "How's Neal?" She asked. "I saw you go upstairs to check on him." She said and took a bite of her food.

Peter sighed. "Not good, El. He said he didn't sleep at all last night. I'm getting really worried about him." He said, biting his lip.

Elizabeth patted Peter's hand. "Be patient. Give him some time. I mean, he was already dealing with Kate. Then, he went on that walk and saw the girl get murdered. On top of all of that, he got taken. He'll get better soon. I promise you." She kissed his hand and ate. 

Peter nodded. "I know. Thanks honey." He said and smiled. "I'm going into the office today. I'll see you when I get back though. Are you going to stay with Neal?" He asked her, putting his jacket on.

Elizabeth winked. "Of course. I'm going my work from home right now until he starts getting better." She kissed him and ate, watching him go out the door.

She finished eating, cleaned her dishes, got her laptops, and worked in the living room with her feet on the table. She was on the phone sometimes. She talked to her co-workers about an event she was planning and then heard shuffling upstairs. She got off the phone immediately so when he came down, she could visit with him. Neal didn't come down the stairs for a few more minutes. His hair was damp, hinting that he had taken a shower. He smiled at her when he came down. "Good morning, Elizabeth." He said.

"Good morning, Neal. How are you this morning?" She asked, putting her laptop away for now.

Neal went to sit next to her. "I'm better. I didn't sleep much last night, but since I slept in, I'm doing great." He said and looked at the coffee table. His drawing from last night was still sitting there. He picked it up and examined it.

Elizabeth stretched her neck over to see it. "Wow, that's amazing, Neal. When did you do that?" She asked.

"Last night. I couldn't sleep, so I just drew." He said and set it back down on the coffee table. "I haven't free-handed in a while, so I had a lot of fun." He said.

"You know we could go to the store later today and see if we can get some more art supplies. I have to run down there to get some table clothes for an event anyway. What do you say?" She asked.

Neal nodded. "That sounds fun. I'll go get dressed." He answered, got up, and walked back up the stairs.

Elizabeth grinned. She was glad she was making progress with Neal. She thought that he would resist, but she was excited that he wasn't resisting. She grabbed her coat and keys and waited for Neal to come down.

When he came down, he was in a white button up shirt with a gray vest over it. He was wearing some gray slacks and black loafers. He had a hat on. He grinned at her. "Let's go, shall we?" He asked.

Elizabeth smiled at him. "Definitely." She linked arms with him and they went out the door together.


	8. Chapter 8

_**IMPORTANT NOTICE:**__I can't really think of what to write for the ending epilogue, so I think I'll just leave it here. I hope you all enjoyed. :)_

**_Author's note:_**_ I've been so busy! I'm so sorry about my slow updates! I had a legal situation going on last week, I've just been so busy. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Warnings: Language, spoilers for season one._

Neal smiled at Elizabeth. "Thanks for taking me out. I had a lot of fun. And, thanks for buying me the art supplies. It means a lot. I'm hoping it will help me take my mind off of things that have been going on lately.." He said.

Elizabeth grinned at him. "Don't mention it. I had fun too. I'm hoping it will help you. Sweetie, you've been just so stressed and tired lately. I hope this helps. I really do." She kissed his forehead.

"Yeah, me too. I'm going to go take a shower." He said and walked off to upstairs.

A few minutes later, Peter walked through the door. "Hey, hon. How was shopping with Neal?" He asked and kissed her cheek, sitting down.

Elizabeth smiled. "It was fun. I'm really worried about him, Peter. He's not himself anymore. He's just...different." She sighed.

Peter nodded. "I know. He'll get better soon. I'm seeing a lot of improvement. The only problem I have now is that I don't think he'll go back to the therapist. I don't even think he needs to if he keeps up the painting. It seemed to relieve him a lot." He said. "I'll talk to him though. Where is he?" He asked her.

"Upstairs. He's taking a quick shower. I'm going to go out with some of my co-workers. We have some things to talk about. I'll see you around." She kissed him and then disappeared out the front door.

Peter waited for Neal to come down the stairs, and when he did, he was dressed in sweats and a t-shirt. His hair was dripping wet and he had a towel around his neck. He smiled at Peter. "When did you get here?" He asked.

"Just now. Come and sit down. We need to talk." He said, a serious expression pasted on his face.

Neal raised an eyebrow and sat. "Whatever I did, I didn't do it." He said, smiling slightly.

Peter looked at him. "You're suffering. I can see it. Ever since the whole thing happened with Alyssa and you being kidnapped, I can tell it's bringing back bad memories for you. Memories of Kate, your mother, I don't know. But you need to talk about these things. You need-"

Neal interuppted him. "Don't tell me what I need and I don't need. I can take care of myself perfectly fine. I'm not going back to that therapist. I'm not telling him my personal life. He's a stranger. He doesn't know me. I don't want him to know me. I don't really give a damn what you say, I'm not going back. You can send me back to jail for all I care before I ever step through that door again. Everyone seems to think I belong at jail anyway."

"Wait, what? Who thinks you belong in jail?"

"Hughes, Ruiz, you know, people like that." He said, wearily.

Peter sighed. "I'm not going to send you back to jail. I don't even know what made you think that. Talk to me about these things. I'm not going to make you go back to the therapist if you don't want to. Just, talk to me, or June, or Elizabeth. Just talk to someone about these things that are bothering you. Please, it'll make you feel better, I promise, Neal." He said, softly.

Neal sucked in his cheeks. "Okay. I'll talk to you about it. Anybody other than that therapist." He leaned back, tired.

The agent smiled at him. "That's all I'm asking."

**A few hours later..**

Neal and Peter were on the couch, laughing about things they were telling each other. Neal had just gotten through talking to Peter about all the things that were bothering him. It had mostly reflected around Alyssa reminding him of Kate. The kidnapping had reminded him about his mother for some reason.

After the more serious talk, they had moved on to talking about more funny things that lightened the mood while they waited for Elizabeth. Peter was planning on taking them all to go rent a movie and watch it together. He had invited Diana, Clinton, June, and Lauren to join them. Mozzie passed up the opporutunity, considering their would be so many FBI people their.

They had a blast that night. Everyone was smiling, and for the first time in a long time, Neal felt happy.

**THE END**


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